China achieves first reusable rocket booster recovery with world’s first net-capture system
China achieved a major milestone in reusable launch technology on July 10 after successfully recovering the first stage of a Long March-10B carrier rocket, marking the country’s first controlled recovery of an orbital-class rocket booster as well as the world’s first rocket recovery using a net-capture system.
The Long March-10B lifted off at 12:15 p.m. from the Hainan Commercial Space Launch Site and successfully placed its payload into the planned orbit. About 6 min after first- and second-stage separation, the first-stage booster executed a controlled vertical return and was successfully recovered on a dedicated offshore platform.
The mission represents a historic breakthrough in China’s pursuit of reusable launch vehicles, a technology widely regarded as essential for lowering launch costs and supporting the rapid expansion of commercial space activities such as large satellite constellations.
Unlike SpaceX’s widely known “chopsticks” system, in which giant mechanical arms mounted on the launch tower catch the returning super heavy booster, China’s Long March-10B adopted a different approach—the returning booster descended vertically onto an offshore recovery platform, where it was captured by a specially designed net system that absorbed the landing energy before securing the vehicle.
The recovery method offers several engineering advantages. Because the rocket is supported by the capture net rather than by standing on landing legs, it does not require a complex landing-leg system, reducing structural weight and increasing payload efficiency. Engineers also say that the offshore net-capture approach is less sensitive to sea conditions than precision landings on autonomous drone ships.
The successful mission marked the world’s first recovery of an orbital rocket using a net-capture system and is expected to provide a new technical pathway for reusable launch vehicles.
Developed by the China Academy of Launch Vehicle Technology under the China Aerospace Science and Technology Corporation, the Long March-10B is a large two-stage liquid-propellant rocket with a 5-m-diameter core stage, which inherits the reusable first-stage design of the Long March-10A family. Its first stage uses liquid oxygen and kerosene propellants, while the second stage is powered by liquid oxygen and methane engines.
The vehicle generates about 890 metric tons of liftoff thrust, weighs approximately 760 metric tons at launch, and measures about 63 m in length during its maiden flight.
When operated in its reusable configuration, the rocket is capable of placing up to 16 metric tons into low Earth orbit (LEO), enabling missions ranging from commercial satellite launches to the deployment of large low-orbit internet constellations while significantly reducing launch costs through stage reuse.
